Welcome
This is the kitchen where we talk about food, life, and recovery—a spiritual path to healing and peace.

Invitation
You are invited to keep coming back to A Cup of Kindness to share your experience, strength and hope; fears, doubts and insecurities; and to pick up information, inspiration … and have a little fun!

My story
In January 2007, at the age of 51, I joined a 12-step program and began my recovery from food addiction, losing 75 pounds in the process. Read more…

In January 2011, at the age of 55, I began my recovery from a multi-trauma accident, 36 fractures, damaged lungs, and post traumatic stress. Read more…

I am deeply grateful for all the kindnesses, large and small, offered to me in recovery. Here I am... alive… still making progress … still not perfect … finding a new way forward in a growing community of women and men who share a lot in common around food and life.

I hope you'll join me in this kitchen and let me know what's cooking with you.

G-d’s mail

Years ago, a therapist asked me if I was writing down my dreams. I said no and she said, “So, you’ve decided not to open God’s mail to you.”

I have learned again through my 12-step program for food addiction, that G-d sends mail to me in odd places, so I always need to be on the lookout.

Three times a week I attend program meetings and there is a preamble that is read at every meeting. I look around and see my fellows who have been in program 10 years, 20 years, really listening. Why are they listening so intently? They’ve heard that preamble so many times they could spout it verbatim. I listen… really listen… and G-d never fails me… there is a always message just for me… hidden in the preamble. I hear exactly what I need to hear on that particular day, in that moment. Every time.

In every share, from every fellow, no matter how un-sweetly phrased, there is always a message that takes me by surprise. There it is! A new, fresh insight. Even when the fellow sharing is me, a hidden gem will appear in my unplanned words.

We use slogans in our program. When I’m into opening G-d’s mail, I hear a slogan and run it through my internal translator. What does it mean to me today, in this moment? There it is again. G-d has a sense of humor. A slogan, three little words I hear or see every other day, wakes me up anew.

When I recognize G-d’s mail and open it, my thinking changes. I remember who I am. I remember my purpose. I remember I am loved. I remember that healing is infinite and that recovery is available in every breath.

I’m very grateful to G-d, to the Basic Goodness that is outside of me and greater than me, for helping me to receive my mail, my inspiration… in the form of our preamble… in the form of fellows who are coming in to their right-size bodies… in the form of the 12-steps and slogans… in the form of shares… in the form of casual conversations during breaks and after meetings… in the form of phone calls… in the form of Nature… in the form of a bowl of weighed and measured food… in the form of prayers… in the form of dreams… and in the form of 30 minutes of daily Quiet Time.

I’m not perfect. I forget to pay attention. I’m late for a meeting now and then. I skip my meditation. I’m human and life happens. I just know to listen even more closely the next time. I want to grow along spiritual lines, so that I can be a happier person and do more service in our crazy world, with my unpredictable life.

Valerie, Thank you for a very thoughtful, insightful way of listening and watching for “God’s mail” . I have never thought of God’s answers to our prayers as mail from him. It is a very interesting concept that I like. Will be watching for” God’s mail”.